There is no doubt that everyone is struggling through these hard times. Once you are sure that you and those close to you are safe, you can begin to think differently about what to do with your new-found spare time. Thoughts of how you can Invest in yourself and the lives of other people start to come to mind.
Realistically, we’ve now reached the point where we may have no other choice but to take greater control of our personal growth and development. With uncertain times ahead and self-isolation a reality, a lot of spare time will inevitably follow.
Personal growth does not happen from getting older, having more experience, or changing environments. We can stay the same or regress over the years. Growth and positive change come from recognizing our past, learning the lessons, and making adjustments on our path into the future. That requires setting aside time to reflect on your past growth. Reflection requires more than just recalling events; it requires identifying your experiences, perspectives, and feelings about those events.
Here are some practical things you can do to upgrade your skills and market value in the New Normal.
Stretch yourself:
Reach for the job that’s out of your comfort zone. Applying for that position you’ve always dreamed of that is outside of your reach increases your confidence and stretches you. You just might get it. If you do not, what you’ve lost in trying you would have gained in ‘know-how’.
Volunteer!:
This current season is brimming with volunteer opportunities for persons who are interested in remote skills-based volunteering in every aspect of the COVID-19 pandemic relief. There are so many opportunities in research and mapping, greeting card and mask making, and public health. Volunteering is the best way to get a foot in the door, and it can be the start of a new career!
Feed your Mind:
Feast on the stories of successful people through books, blogs, youtube channels, and Wikipedia pages. Reading quality books and articles by thought leaders helps to spark your creative juices, teaches you how to develop the mindset of determination and resilience that successful people possess, and how to emulate them and stay motivated as you tread the vicissitudes of life. According to Mark Haddon, “Reading is a conversation. All books talk. But a good book listens as well”. Reading should be a habit. It should be engraved on our hearts to learn the art of reading. The more you read, the more things you know and the more that you learn, the more places that you will go.
Create your opportunities:
You alone know what you’d like to accomplish and the pace at which you’d like to do it. You get to set your own pace and build things the way you desire to see them. You can make your opportunities by identifying and pursuing a niche that is either underserved or an emerging trend. Once you recognize a need, look at it objectively from all angles and get creative about how you could serve that need.
Remember Opportunities are everywhere; it takes an observing mind to find one.
Written by:
Richard Edet
Senior Analyst
